Location

Faculty of Law, University of Lisbon

Alameda da Universidade 

1649-014 Lisbon, Portugal 

Overview

BiP Portugal 2026 brings together researchers, policymakers, and practitioners working at the intersection of behavioural science and law. The workshop aims to advance the use of behavioural insights in legal analysis and public policy, while fostering collaboration between academia and public institutions.

As part of the Behavioural Insights for Policy (BiP) Network, the event contributes to a growing international effort to integrate behavioural evidence into governance systems and policymaking processes around the world. The BiP Network aims to expand the global reach of behavioural public policy by fostering its application worldwide

We invite submissions for presentation at the 2026 workshop.

Scientific Organisers

• Sanchayan Banerjee, Associate Professor of Economics and Public Policy, King’s College London
• Rute Saraiva, Associate Professor, Faculty of Law, University of Lisbon, Research Fellow at CIDEEFF
• Raquel Franco, Visiting Assistant Professor, Faculty of Law, University of Lisbon, Research Fellow at LPL

Themes

The conference explores how behavioural insights are reshaping legal theory, doctrine, and policymaking. We welcome abstracts that explore behavioural insights in public policy and related domains in the following areas:

Foundations of Behavioural Law: Theoretical perspectives on behavioural approaches to law, including evolving understandings of rationality, autonomy, and legal judgment, as well as the scope and limits of behavioural legal theory.

Behavioural Legal Theory and Doctrinal Analysis: Behavioural perspectives on core legal concepts and reasoning, including responsibility, consent, interpretation, and the influence of cognitive biases and social norms.

Behavioural Legal Design, Regulation and Compliance: Designing laws and regulatory systems informed by behavioural evidence, with attention to simplification, compliance, administrative burdens, taxation, and risk regulation.

Courts, Procedure and Decision-Making: Behavioural dimensions of adjudication and legal processes, including judicial decision-making, procedural design, access to justice, and the implications of AI in legal contexts.

Digital Environments and Behavioural Governance: Behavioural challenges in digital and platform-based environments, including privacy, consent, AI regulation, consumer protection, and online manipulation.

Ethics, Legitimacy and Behavioural Governance: Normative questions surrounding behavioural policymaking, including paternalism, transparency, democratic legitimacy, inequality, and applications in public health, climate policy, and social welfare.

Experimental Methods and Institutionalisation: Methodological and institutional aspects of behavioural law, including experimental research, evidence-based policymaking, policy evaluation, and the integration of behavioural insights into legal systems.

Format

The workshop will take place over two days and will include keynote lectures, academic presentations, and panel discussions. The event is designed to encourage interdisciplinary exchange and engagement with real-world legal and policy challenges.

Specialised Panels and Workshops: In addition to the main tracks, the programme will include focused sessions on behavioural legislative design, judicial bias, digital regulation, experimental methods, and capacity-building within public institutions.

Who Should Submit

We encourage submissions from:

• Academic researchers (including PhD candidates and early career scholars)
• Policymakers and civil servants
• Behavioural insights practitioners
• Representatives of international organisations
• NGOs and implementation partners

Interdisciplinary work is especially welcome.

Submission Guidelines

Abstracts should:

• Be no more than 200 words
• Clearly state the research question or policy challenge
• Outline the methodology or approach
• Summarise key findings (if available)
• Highlight policy relevance and practical implications

Submissions should be made using the link here.

All shortlisted presenters will be asked to register for the event. Registration fees are:

• Early-bird rate: 75 EUR (not including the dinner)
• Standard Rate/ Rate for the private sector: 150 EUR

Key Dates

• Abstract submission deadline: 15 August
• Notification of acceptance: 31 August
• Deadline to register (early bird): 15 September

Keynote Speakers

• Professor Anne-Lise Sibony, Professor of European law, UC Louvain
• Professor Benjamin van Rooij, Department of Jurisprudence, Faculty of Law, University of Amsterdam

What to Expect?

Participants will have the opportunity to engage with leading scholars and practitioners, explore emerging research in behavioural law and policy, and contribute to discussions on how behavioural insights can inform more effective and responsive legal systems.